Sunday, July 3, 2016

Cathedral Canyon Might be the Most Gorgeous Place in all of Utah

   Some say it is the most beautiful place in all of Utah. But, if you are the average person, don't expect to ever see it.
   It's too out of the way. It's too hard to get to. I don't know, what is it, 27 miles on unpaved road, just to get to the trail head? And, you need a 4WD for the final miles. Then, once you reach the trail head, expert-class hiking takes you another 4.5 miles.
   For those who can make it, the scene is the reward, perhaps the most magnificent place in all of Utah. This morning, I woke up to see Xfinity showing, "The Most Beautiful Places in All 50 States." For Utah, it picked the Golden Cathedral in Neon Canyon in the Grand Staircase--Escalante National Monument.
   "If you like dramatic light beaming down through sandstone and landing in a pool, this will blow your mind," says a post at Utah.com.
   "It was awesome. The pictures don't do the place justice," writes the reviewer at Your Hike Guide.
    The Intermountain Health Care website calls it "incredible . . . awe-inspiring."
   "Truly a remarkable place, and no wonder people will hike 5 miles though the desert to see it," says Anne's Travels.
   The tops of canyon walls fold over to join each other, creating a large room with skylight openings, That's my understanding. The name of the place suggests as much, Golden Cathedral implying a room large enough to be a ornate and colorful chapel.
   But, is it ever hard to get to. It lies in an area that was the last place in the Lower 48 states to have illustrated maps made of it (cartographed). To get there, you traverse Hole in the Rock Road. The Golden Cathedral is not so far from Hole in the Rock, sharing the same rugged terrain which stopped Mormon pioneers until they were able to find that steep, narrow pass through  which they lowered their wagons. That should tell you how almost impassable this area is.

https://utah.com/hiking/golden-cathedral-trail

http://www.yourhikeguide.com/golden-cathedral/

https://intermountainhealthcare.org/live-well/move-well/healthy-hikes/challenging-hikes/the-golden-cathedral/

http://www.annestravels.net/neon-canyon/

Escalante Interagency Visitor Center at 755 W Main St in Escalante, call (435) 826-5499





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